Stressing about stress balls
The bottom line
Stress balls, also called fidget balls, squishy balls, and hand exercise balls, are made of a soft rubbery or fabric cover and filled with a variety of materials including gel, powder, foam, and water beads. Stress balls are not toxic if some of the material is ingested, unless the person chokes as the material is being swallowed. Rarely, intestinal obstruction can occur with water beads.
Prevention Tips
Keep stress balls up, away, and out of sight of children if you are unable to supervise.
Store stress balls in a cool, dry place.
If children are playing with toy stress balls, watch closely to be sure they don’t bite into them.
Check stress balls for damage regularly and discard them if damaged.
When using a stress ball, be gentle and take breaks.
Don’t squeeze stress balls too hard.
Don’t squeeze stress balls for extended periods.
This Really Happened
A 4-year-old boy was playing with a squishy fidget ball toy. He bit into it, broke the rubber cover, and got some of the gel in his mouth. His father took the squishy ball away and tried to remove pieces of the cover and gel from his son’s mouth. He called his poison center to check if his son had been poisoned. The poison center asked if his son had any symptoms, to which dad replied in the negative. The poison center told the father to use a wet cloth to wipe the gel out of his son’s mouth and give him something to drink. Since there were no symptoms, it would not be necessary to take him to the doctor.
What is inside of a stress ball?
A stress ball is a squeezable foam ball used for stress and anxiety relief, hand exercise, and as a toy. The outside of a stress ball is usually a soft rubbery material such as polyurethane foam and rubber (either natural or thermoplastic). It might also be fabric. Stress balls made of thermoplastic rubber are also called “splat balls,” since they are stretchable and sticky on the outside, such that they can stick to a surface when thrown against it.
There are many different kinds of stress balls, each with a different set of materials. These include:
Gel: Contains a mixture of water and glycerin which may consist of small gel beads. Some gel balls contain a memory gel that can snap back to its original shape when stretched.
Hand Exercise: Contains a gel core with density options of soft, medium, or hard, covered with nonstick fabric. These are used to improve grip strength. Powder-Filled: Contains sand, grains, or plastic beads covered in fabric for exercise.
Foam Rubber: Contains polyurethane foam.
Water Bead and Hydrogel Sphere Ball: Contains water beads covered with a thin, clear rubber.
Are stress balls toxic if ingested?
Stress balls are usually not toxic if ingested. Children can bite into a stress ball and swallow some of the material inside of it. If a small amount of the material inside a stress ball is swallowed, there may be no symptoms or possibly nausea, vomiting, or an upset stomach. If a young child chokes on a stress ball, coughing, gagging, or discomfort in the chest is possible. If the stress ball contains water beads, they may expand in the stomach and intestines, causing an obstruction. Symptoms of obstruction include severe abdominal pain or cramping, swelling in the abdomen, vomiting, and constipation.
When to seek help
In most instances, it is not necessary to seek help. Use a wet washcloth to wipe out the mouth and remove pieces of the ball. Follow this with a drink of water. Seek help immediately if water beads were swallowed or if there are symptoms that suggest that the person is choking or has an abdominal obstruction. Use the webPOISONCONTROL® online tool to get help or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Whether online or by phone, expert guidance is always free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
